This invention relates to a time data processing circuit for an electronic timepiece.
One of the known time-counting systems for electronic timepieces such as electronic watches is shift register time-counting system. In this system, time data are circulated in a loop circuit including shift registers, and a specific time data is added to the circulating time data every time, for example, the time data circulate one in the loop circuit. Recently, an electronic watch has been given more and more functions. More function data are therefore serially circulated together with time data in the loop circuit of the shift register time-counting system. As the number of data bits increases, it becomes necessary to use shift registers of larger bit capacity. To circulate more data bits within the time necessary for circulating time data and a fewer function data, it is necessary to circulate them with a considerably high speed. To achieve such a high speed circulation of data bits, the frequencies of various timing signals including shift pulses should be set high. As a result, it becomes necessary to change the frequency of pulses used to represent the smallest unit of time in stop watch function, and the power comsumption inevitably increases.